Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's aircraft reportedly had to make an emergency landing in Zurich on its way back to Skopje from Strasbourg on May 21.

The 24Vesti news portal said on May 21, quoting the premier's office, that the plane landed in Zurich because of an unspecified problem.

Gruevski had been taking part in EU and European Parliament-mediated talks, held overnight May 19 into May 20, with the Macedonian opposition leader Zoran Zaev, aimed at ending the current political crisis.

Earlier on May 21, Zaev was quoted as saying that the negotiations in Strasbourg to end the political crisis in Macedonia "have not even really started."

He added that he and Gruevski are due to meet again in the Macedonian parliament on May 26.

The crisis stems from a long-running wiretap scandal that apparently showed wide corruption in the government.

Zaev, who claims Gruevski is behind the wiretapping of 20,000 people, wants the government to resign and a caretaker administration be established to oversee new elections. Gruevski accuses Zaev of plotting a coup.